Sugar alcohols, such as sorbitol, have been dehydrated in order to produce isosorbide, which is a 6-carbon and heteroatom containing bicyclic ring compound with fused rings. It is formed by the removal of two water molecules by dehydration of sorbitol. During the first dehydration step the sorbitol is converted to sorbitan; and during the second dehydration step the sorbitan is converted to isosorbide. The final reaction mixture resulting from the dehydration typically contains greater than 70 percent isosorbide, which is typically purified to at least 99% through distillation to obtain isosorbide suitable for the manufacture of pharmaceuticals and use in polymer applications. Purified isosorbide is a crystalline solid having a melting point of about 61 to 63° C. The purified isosorbide typically is distributed in solid crystalline form.